Frisia

Friesland has its own language, its own flag with red water lily leaves, and a strong sense of identity. A vacation in Friesland means sailing on the lakes, cycling between terpen (artificial dwelling mounds) and village churches, spending beach days on Terschelling and Vlieland, and visiting small cities made famous by the Elfstedentocht, the Eleven Cities Tour.

A Water World Between the IJsselmeer and the Wadden Sea

Southwest Friesland is dotted with lakes linked by canals, the Friese Meren: Sneekermeer, Heegermeer, Fluessen, and Tjeukemeer are among the most popular sailing areas in the Netherlands. In the north, a dike protects the flat pastureland from the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site; at low tide, you can walk across the sea floor with a guide from Holwerd or Moddergat. Four inhabited Wadden Islands belong to the province: Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland, and Schiermonnikoog, the last of which is a national park. In the southeast, moorland and forest blend into the landscape around Drachten and Heerenveen.

Cities and Towns

Leeuwarden, called Ljouwert in Frisian, was a European Capital of Culture in 2018. Its landmark is the leaning Oldehove tower, an unfinished church tower. At the Fries Museum you can learn about Mata Hari, who was born here, and the Princessehof ceramics museum is the birthplace of the graphic artist M. C. Escher. Sneek is the sailing hub, with its Water Gate from 1613 and the Sneekweek, a major regatta held in August. Harlingen, a port city with shipyards and canals, is the departure point for ferries to Terschelling and Vlieland, home to West-Terschelling with its Brandaris lighthouse and car-free Oost-Vlieland. Lemmer on the IJsselmeer is home to the Woudagemaal steam pumping station, the largest of its kind still in operation and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Heerenveen is known for the Thialf speed skating arena.

Sights in Friesland

The eleven historic cities, including Dokkum, Franeker, Bolsward, Workum, Hindeloopen, Stavoren, and Sloten, are linked by the Elfstedentocht, a roughly 200-kilometer speed skating race that takes place only in very severe frost, most recently in 1997. In summer, you can follow the circuit by bike or boat. Franeker is home to the 18th-century Eise Eisinga Planetarium, the oldest working planetarium in the world, also a World Heritage site. Hindeloopen is known for its brightly painted furniture, and tiny Sloten for its windmill, canal, and ramparts.

Culture, Food, and Drink

West Frisian is an official language of the province alongside Dutch, and town signs are often bilingual. Traditions include fierljeppen, vaulting over canals with a long pole, and kaatsen, a ball game. Frisian cows and horses are known the world over. Local specialties include sûkerbôle, a sweet sugar bread; dúmkes, anise cookies; and the herbal liqueur Beerenburg. In Harlingen, you can get fish and shrimp fresh off the boat.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

You reach Friesland from North Holland via the Afsluitdijk, and from the east via Groningen and the A7. Trains connect Leeuwarden with Zwolle and Groningen. The best time for sailors and island vacationers is May through September; in winter, Frisians hope for frost and the great ice race. If you don't have your own boat, you can charter a sailing yacht or motorboat in Sneek, Grou, or Lemmer; small boats require no license. On the islands, bicycles are the main means of transportation, and cars aren't allowed on Vlieland at all.